Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello 7 months ago I took in a rescue igg that was treated pretty badly in the past. Givin the wrong food just a little romaine, and kept in a small aquarium. She was two years old when I got her and she never layed eggs before. I only have experiance with male iggs so I'm not to sure on how to deal with eggs. She is now eating like a hog and is very healthy. Gaining major weight, and growing. She was very small for her age. I beleive do to the small enclosure she was kept. She is not tame at all won't let me handle her at all. I don't blame her for not being to trusting. In the past 2 months she started eating really heavy, and i beleive she might have eggs, do to the weight she is gaining right in the lower stomach, and the way she is holding her body off the ground. what do I do? She also has a split in the tail just at the end where it looks like she is growing two tails. I never seen such a thing. Is it ok? Please help. what signs do I look for? I would hate for her to come so far to get egg bound. Thanks a lot.

Spring is the season for captive igs to eat more, because temperatures are warming up. If you think might be gravid, the only way to know for sure is for a vet to x-ray her. If she's gravid she probably needs calcium supplements. I don't know about the split tail...

Good luck,

Roger

I have heard of this happening in other kinds of lizards, but usually not naturally. People purposfully cut their lizards' tails and keep the halves seperate so as to grow two tails. Although I don't know how much iguanas can feel their tails, I think it is cruel. Watch that tail for discoloration, oozing, shriveling, or other signs of infection and gangrene- my ig lost two or three inches of tail soon after I adopted him; I had it amputated due to gangrene.